Wednesday, 30 May 2012

With last
December’s bold and hard-hitting Hollywood remake of the phenomenon of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as well
as the stratospheric success of Nordic television serials, such as The Killing and currently The Bridge, it was only a matter of time
before another cinematic equivalent cracked the international multiplex. I
think it must be the oxymoronic antithesis of ice-freezing, secluded locality
coupled with the heat from the slow-burn of expertly executed and
cleverly-paced tension that accounts for its sudden flurry of success, keeps us coming back for more.

Here, based
on Jo Nesbo’s pulpy page-turner, the curiously Anglo-sounding-named Roger Brown
makes for our most unlikely of protagonists – particularly for the lead in the
glossy, slickly-shot thriller that this first appears to be. He’s the epitome
of average – average height, usual dissatisfaction etc, but certainly doesn’t
have the average wife or lead the average life.

She’s demanding,
high-maintenance and gorgeous, but the luxury in which they bathe comes at a
crime-ridden price: by day Brown’s a sharp-suited coprate headhunter enveloped
into a world of sterile, minimalist high-rise windows and board meetings, by
night that’s juxstaposed with balaclavas and the art of quick thinking – he’s
an expert in the theft of priceless paintings.

This seemingly
idyllic occupational dichotomy is cataclysmically shattered by Roger’s chance
meeting with the smooth-talking (and even smoother-haired) Clas Grieve (Nicolai
Coster-Waldau). Posing as a prospective buyer, in sneakily deceptive actuality
he’s a dangerous ex-military figure developing a deadly new drug to distribute,
invisible interceptors, usually manufactured in the form of soaps, and hand or
hair gels – which actually track the entire population’s every move. Soon of
course, inexplicable changes start occurring to Roger’s day-to-day routine and
he’s forced to go on a frenetic and increasingly deadly run…

Effortlessly directed by Swedish auteur Morton Tyldum,
this is a highly accomplished juggernaut of a movie. The Swedish subtitles
quickly become perfunctory and, as a clever conceit, we discover every
clockwork, shocking twist and turn along with Roger’s direct, increasingly
bewildered point-of-view.

In an odd, but fitting addition, the
increasingly desperate, bordering on implausible scraps in which Roger finds
himself entangled only add to its appeal, not least because it actually has
some very funny segments, in a highly unusual, almost impossibly entertaining
way. It’s an almost guilty laughter.

It’s
violence, like Dragon Tattoo is
certainly shocking, but never overly so, or left to descend into gratuity.
Incidents involving every conceivable – and inconceivable, increasing bizarre
scenario, from exploding cartons of milk, a desperate dash in a digger and
jumping down a toilet without a paddle, make for original, frenzied and
adrenaline-pumping viewing as chases, crashes and infidelity, crossing and
double-crossing ensues…

Aksel Hennie is
relatable as Roger, the suitably scrappy man at the centre of it all – (he’s
also extremely gutsy, having had to completely shave his real hair off in one
sequence, due to plot reasoning of the tracer receptors being found in hair
follicles, thus, his location compromised.

The film
really belongs to Game of Thrones star,
the brilliant Nicolai Coster-Waldau, who brings an electrically commanding
presence to the lethal nemesis on his trail, Clas Grieve, a man skilled to
perfection – an imposing, deeply unsettling figure. Coster-Waldau must go down
as one of the truly great supporting actor performances of the year, and really
deserves early Oscar prediction-acknowledgment.

Hollywood
star Mark Wahlberg is reportedly set to star as Roger in the upcoming remake,
he’s somewhat of an unlikely choice; normally associated with the polished,
self-assured tough-guy types of Max Payne
and more recently Contraband –
everything the character of Roger isn’t, but I’m certainly looking forward to
seeing it.

Stylistically, this is edited with the economy of a freight train,
slick, quick and uber-stylish. Quiet word-of-mouth and effective digital
marketing such as twitter hype are appropriate strategies to promote an
ultra-modern film. Pacy, breathless and absolutely fantastic – this will be in
my top ten of the year.

Within a month of the release of John Carter, it’s most intriguing to see
multiplexes adorned with another blockbusting mythical protagonist, mostly in
the form of giant banners over balconies or massive pop-out extravaganzas.
Aptly enough, this would dub very well as a strap-line in describing the film
itself.

A sequel to
2010’s Clash Of The Titans which was
very badly received, but I enjoyed it – perhaps not obtaining quite the full
experience from Pay-Per-View in an Edinburgh hotel room!

Sam
Worthington returns as Persius, now a father, having lost Gemma Arterton’s Io in
unexplained circumstances. His father Zeus (Liam Neeson) has been captured by
Hades and Ares, Persius’s brother. Our iron-clad hero also has to fight off all
manner of incredibly sinister monsters, most notably one-on-one with a minotaur
and a frenetic attack by a double-headed tentacled skeleton.

A vast
advantage of using the tool of 3D where during the production stage, the film
is specifically designed to accommodate certain sequences with its utilization in
mind, is that the often used, much maligned post-conversion technique is
replaced with a far more immersive experience.

Fantastically, that’s exactly the result. Beautifully photographed,
richly-textured environments, are testament to absolutely exquisitely
intricate production design, even more
so than the first time around – and some of the most exhilarating action shot
in very tactile, almost kinesthetic way. Swooping, panoramic cinematographic
technique provide these amazing sets the best showcase possible, thanks to
frequent three hundred and sixty-degree panning. Whether it’s a meteoric thud
of a fireball, a tumbling rock, dusty crumbling of a disintegrated idol, slither
of a serpent’s tongue or drops of boiling-hot lava, 3D is certainly being shown
with some of its best use to date here. The visuals are extraordinary,
particularly the cavernous, magmatic mountain battle two thirds of the way through.
Refreshingly however, the aesthetic is actually present with the function of
serving to push the narrative forward, as opposed to being showily
demonstrative of extravagant flourish.

There’s a
particularly disconcerting scene whereby a labyrinthine maze ensnares our
heroes – stylistically this is mirrored by equally labyrinthine camera
movements which are every bit as snake-like as the creature that trapped them
there. I always admire a filmmaker who marries the thematic and visual
together, into the same mixture.

Avatar and Terminator:
Salvation’s Sam Worthington is an amazing talent, always such I reliable
and relatable protagonistic screen presence I think. Charming, modest, heroic
aside from obvious good-looks, his is a star that’s fast rising in Hollywood, and deservedly
so.

Bond girl
Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day’s
Miranda Frost, as well as my personal favourite), unfortunately here isn’t
given as much to do as Princess Andromeda – apart from in an appropriately
stirring final act.

The film is
completely stolen by Ralph Fiennes, as ever injecting his usual juxtaposition
of relentless, imposing menace and measured, pronounced understatement. With
Hades, as is the case with all of his many villainous creations from Voldermort
to The Duchess’s Duke and Red Dragon to now Coriolanus, there an absolute embodiment into the skin of every
terrifying role, some indeterminably rare quality from the pupils of his eyes
to the tips of his toes. He’s the most quietly intimidating, shiver-inducing
actor to play a villain ever, in my opinion.

Bill Nighy
provides some wonderful comic relief despite the unusual accent, and the
climactic dive into a direct eruption of a volcano is truly a feat to behold.

It was an
unexpected surprise that I just happened to see John Carter and this consecutively – they’re impossibly impressive
to choose between, for substance as well as style, and would make for a
terrific double-bill.